"Lucifer…" Lin Qiye was still trying to process the torrent of information Zhao Kongcheng had just unloaded, frozen in place for a long moment.
"So, what you're saying is… ever since that mist appeared, mythical gods have started showing up, one after another, out of nowhere?"
"Exactly. The higher-ups have been investigating the cause behind all this, and they've come up with two possible explanations." Zhao Kongcheng held up two fingers.
"The first theory is that these gods didn't actually exist before — the appearance of the mist triggered some mysterious change and caused them to materialize right out of our myths.
The second theory is that myths weren't just ancient imaginations — these beings were real all along. As humanity became more active, they went into hiding somewhere on Earth, and the sudden appearance of the mist awakened them."
Lin Qiye nodded. "So when you said not all gods exist, what did you mean by that?"
"The number of gods currently present on Earth is actually quite small. Not every mythical being has shown up — in fact, only a tiny fraction of the vast array from all the world's mythologies have appeared. We don't know why it's these particular ones; it's not about power, popularity, morality, or geography. Their appearance seems completely random.
It's not just the Bible — Greek mythology, Norse myths, Cthulhu legends… All the gods humans know about are spread across every myth system."
"If that's true, what about our gods of Daxia?" Lin Qiye asked curiously. "Like the Great Sage Heaven's Equal[1], the Third Prince[2], the Four Heavenly Kings[3], the Jade Emperor[4]… Where are they? If they're real, surely they could put all the Western gods to shame, right?"
After a brief silence, Zhao Kongcheng shook his head. "We've wondered about all this too. Over the past hundred years, we've searched all across Daxia's territory, trying to find a trace of them…
But after a whole century, we've found nothing — not even a Tudigong[5].
Some people claim it's because the mist hasn't swallowed Daxia yet, so our gods haven't needed to show up.
While others say…"
Lin Qiye couldn't help but ask, "Say what?"
"…Others say — they've been here, all along."
"All along?"
"Why do you think, out of the whole world swallowed up by mist, only Daxia survived? The mist has already reached Daxia's borders, but it never crosses the line—it's stopped right at our frontiers, not taking a single step inside."
Lin Qiye's eyes went wide. "Are you saying that…"
"It's just a theory, or rather, a beautiful fantasy," Zhao Kongcheng replied, shaking his head. "But the fact is, we've never found any trace of Daxia's gods."
"I see."
Just hearing all this was enough to shatter Lin Qiye's worldview. If he hadn't seen the Seraph with his own eyes, he'd probably already be dialing the mental hospital to send Zhao Kongcheng away.
This guy's even crazier than Lin Qiye was back then!
"So… that golden beam of light that shot out from me last night — what was that?" Lin Qiye asked his next question.
"A Forbidden Ruin," Zhao Kongcheng replied. "Once the mist shrouded the earth, the changes weren't limited to the appearance of gods. Somehow, the mist also seems to have mysterious effects on the human body.
Even though the mist hasn't entered Daxia's territory, it contains something a bit like radiation — a kind of energy that acts as a catalyst for certain people's bodies. Kids born after the mist arrived have a chance of developing unusual abilities inside them.
Under the right conditions, these powers can be triggered, taking shape as a unique force that can affect the world around them — almost like a personal domain. Every ability is different, depending on the person.
These remarkable domains of supernatural influence are called 'Forbidden Ruins'."
Lin Qiye pondered this for a moment.
So, simply put, 'Forbidden Ruins' are the superpowered domains granted to a handful of lucky individuals.
If that's the case, then his own ability — to sense everything within twenty meters using something like psychic perception, combined with exceptional dynamic vision and the power to wield the Seraph's divine might — was a manifestation of his Forbidden Ruin.
"Can a Forbidden Ruin grow stronger over time?" he asked.
"Yes," Zhao Kongcheng replied. "A Forbidden Ruin's abilities, area, and unique features all expand as its owner's spiritual strength increases. It is the key metric for a Forbidden Ruin's power.
We classify Forbidden Ruins into six realms based on spiritual strength.
If one's spirit strength is like water in a cup — small and motionless — that's the first realm — the Cup Realm.
If it's like water in a pond — abundant, yet motionless — that's the second realm — the Pond Realm.
If it's like water in a river — abundant and flowing — that's the third realm — the River Realm.
If it's like water in a sea — vast and boundless — that's the fourth realm — the Sea Realm.
If one's spiritual strength is nearly limitless, immense in scale, that's the fifth realm — Absolute.
And if one's spiritual strength is infinite, inexhaustible, capable of breaking through spatial dimensions and resembling a Klein bottle, that's the sixth and final realm — Klein."
"What about me? Which realm am I at now?" Lin Qiye asked.
"You? You're at the Cup Realm — just a rookie who's only begun to use a Forbidden Ruin." Zhao Kongcheng seemed to really enjoy teasing Lin Qiye. "Basically, you're… well… just a slightly above-average normal person."
Lin Qiye was speechless.
So, it seems that the reason he was able to open the mental hospital door in his mind last night was because he'd broken through into the 'Cup' realm — and opening Nyx's ward was for the same reason.
Does that mean, every time he reaches a new realm, he'll be able to release another patient from the hospital?
"And what about you? Since you're so tough, what realm are you at?" Lin Qiye asked, eyeing Zhao Kongcheng.
Zhao Kongcheng's face flushed. He looked awkwardly out the window. "Me… I actually don't have a Forbidden Ruin. So I don't have any spiritual power, either."
"You don't have a Forbidden Ruin?" Lin Qiye's eyes widened. "Then how did you kill that monster?"
Lin Qiye was truly stunned. That kind of creature nearly overwhelmed him — even with his enhanced dynamic vision, he barely hung on. Yet Zhao Kongcheng had crushed it with ease. Someone that strong, and not even a Forbidden Ruin user?
"That thing's called a Ghost Face," Zhao Kongcheng corrected. "And the reason I could kill it was purely years of training and combat experience. Before joining the Night Watchers, I served as a special forces operative—close-quarters combat was my specialty."
He went on, "There are three ways to obtain a Forbidden Ruin. The first is what I mentioned: a small number of lucky people are born with the talent to use Forbidden Ruins.
The second way is through objects imbued with Forbidden Ruin power. The mist doesn't only affect people — sometimes, by chance, an item can end up with a Forbidden Ruin of its own. These artifact Ruins are extremely rare and usually very unique. If someone can control one, they can use its power.
That's how I fit in. My Forbidden item isn't meant for fighting, though—it's a standard-issue Night Watcher support artifact: the 'Notice Board.' And it does just one thing…
It opens the 'Unrestricted Domain'!"
[1] Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King is a literary and religious figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West. The Great Sage Heaven's Equal being one of his many titles, which was suggested by one of his demon friends. After he wreaked havoc in heaven people who heard of him called him Great Sage (Da Sheng).
[2] Nézhā (哪吒) is a protection deity in Taoism, Buddhism, and Chinese folk religion. His official Taoist name is "Marshal of the Central Altar" (中壇元帥). He was then given the title "Third Lotus Prince" (蓮花三太子) after he became a deity.
[3] The Four Heavenly Kings (四大天王)are four Buddhist gods. each of whom is believed to watch over one cardinal direction of the world. The Hall of Four Heavenly Kings is a standard component of Chinese Buddhist temples.
[4] In Chinese mythology, the Jade Emperor reigns as the celestial sovereign, enforcing laws of Heaven and Earth and supervising countless deities, spirits, and immortals. In Taoist belief, the Jade Emperor is second only to the Three Pure Ones, who represent the primordial forces of Tao itself; he rules the heavens under their authority
[5] A Tudigong (Chinese: 土地公; lit. 'Lord of the Land') is a kind of Chinese tutelary deity of a specific location. There are several Tudigongs corresponding to different geographical locations and sometimes multiple ones will be venerated together in certain regions.